Ants take the cake when it comes to being one of the most annoying household pests. They contaminate food items, damage property, and never seem to go away. Today we’ll explain how to identify the area’s most common ants and why they’re so challenging to get rid of once they invade your home.
For more immediate solutions, reach out to Bay Pest for Bay Area pest control services you can trust. We design our ant control solutions to eliminate ant problems quickly and efficiently.
How Can I Tell What Type Of Ant Has Invaded My Home?
Telling different ant species apart isn’t easy, especially since most ants are small. Thankfully, we created this guide to help you identify which ants have taken over your Bay Area home.
- Carpenter ants are the largest home-invading ants in our area. They usually have black or red bodies and are ⅝ of an inch long.
- Odorous house ants have small, dark brown to black bodies. They get their name from the distinctive, rotten coconut odor they emit when crushed.
- Argentine ants have shiny light to dark brown bodies. These ants often create wide, noticeable ant trails to and from a food source.
Learning how to identify ants will help you figure out the steps needed to eliminate them. Different ant species require specific control methods. The best way to find the most effective ant control for your problems is to partner with our professionals from Bay Pest.
All The Problems Ants Can Create In Your Home
Generally considered nuisance pests, ants can cause significant problems for homeowners. These pests may be more or less bothersome depending on their species. Carpenter ants create massive networks of tunnels and nesting galleries throughout the wooden structure of your home. Repairing the damage carpenter ants cause is often challenging as well as costly. Odorous house ants can cause your home to have a foul odor. Ants of all species can carry harmful bacteria and pathogens into your home when they invade. For these reasons, it’s important to address ant infestations as soon as you know of their presence.
Why It Is So Difficult To Get Rid Of Ants On Your Own
If you asked homeowners to create a list of the most problematic pests to eliminate, ants would probably be high on that list. But what makes these insects so tricky to handle? One aspect is that ants respond differently to various treatment methods depending on their species. For example, sugary and fatty substances attract Argentine ants. They may respond well to store-bought ant baits. Carpenter ants, on the other hand, are less selective and will eat many of the food items found in your kitchen.
Another reason why many DIY ant control methods are ineffective is due to the ways ant colonies protect themselves. Some ant species have multiple queens to ensure their colony survives. If ants perceive a threat to their nests, they will split into one or more individual colonies. Unfortunately, this behavior makes an ant infestation even more challenging to control and prevent.
What Should I Do To Remove The Ants Around My House?
Once you’ve exhausted all the ant prevention tips and DIY treatment strategies for eliminating ant problems, your next step is professional ant control services. Though, we suggest you turn to the professionals at Bay Pest sooner rather than later. Attempting to eliminate ants independently is a huge undertaking, but with help from Bay Pest, you can experience a pest-free home in no time. Our skilled team of pest experts understands how to keep ants away from your residential property using the latest pest management technologies.
Don’t allow ants to invade your home and cause problems for your family. Instead, contact our technicians at Bay Pest for a residential pest control plan that gets the job done right.